FALSETTOS Previews- Page 3

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 12:18am

theatregoer3 said: "I'm sad to say this was embarrassingly bad. My guest and I left at intermission. It was unsalvagable from the start. Awful direction, staging and design. The lighting was atrocious and the set was a mess that the actors could not make sense of. The cast looked nervous, distracted, uninterested and unengaged. I felt bad for everyone. Ms. Block was the only one who seemed to be trying or who at least had confidence in the material. Speaking of material, we have new lyrics and they're unnecessary. It was just so bad and made me very sad and disappointed. 

 

"

You have a lot of nerve posting something like this after you bragged about having left at intermission. It was FIRST PREVIEW and you left at intermission. 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 12:23am

Matt Rogers said: "theatregoer3 said: "I'm sad to say this was embarrassingly bad. My guest and I left at intermission. It was unsalvagable from the start. Awful direction, staging and design. The lighting was atrocious and the set was a mess that the actors could not make sense of. The cast looked nervous, distracted, uninterested and unengaged. I felt bad for everyone. Ms. Block was the only one who seemed to be trying or who at least had confidence in the material. Speaking of material, we have new lyrics and they're unnecessary. It was just so bad and made me very sad and disappointed. 

 

"

You have a lot of nerve posting something like this after you bragged about having left at intermission. It was FIRST PREVIEW and you left at intermission. "

 

So you're telling me I'm brave. SUCCESS.

 

My intention wasn't to be bragadocious. I've left several shows at intermission and have reported on it previously and have received this very same criticism previously. To each their own. When I'm not in a show I'm seeing one at least twice a week so sometimes I'd rather be elsewhere then slug through something that simply isn't working for me. I can clearly understand those who disagree.

 

As for it being first preview, they charged the same tonight as they do months from now so you tell me why I should treat the production differently.

 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 12:39am

If someone pays for a ticket and wants to leave at intermission, that's entirely their prerogative. Whether it's the first preview or not.  I don't see the problem... 

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 12:45am

I don't care if it's a first workshop, an invited dress, a first preview, or opening night. If you leave at intermission, your opinion on the show in question doesn't matter, and it certainly shouldn't be presented in a review format.

[curel1]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 12:59am

CindersGolightly said: "I don't care if it's a first workshop, an invited dress, a first preview, or opening night. If you leave at intermission, your opinion on the show in question doesn't matter, and it certainly shouldn't be presented in a review format.

 

"

Yeah what's the point in reviewing a show that you only saw half of

 

Updated On: 9/30/16 at 12:59 AM

[Keiichi2]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 3:15am

So, how long was last night's performance?

 

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 5:14am

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "If someone pays for a ticket and wants to leave at intermission, that's entirely their prerogative. Whether it's the first preview or not.  I don't see the problem..."

Exactly. In addition to this, I also do not see the problem with people sharing their thoughts on what they DID see. 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 5:58am

Has any one checked on Whizzer...!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 7:02am

The show ran around 2:40 last night. 

[AC126748]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 7:40am

I'm always surprised by how willing some people on this board are to take the first negative thing written about a show on absolute faith. Seeing it tomorrow, and I plan to keep a completely open mind.

[Jimbo2]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 8:04am

The highlight for me was meeting William Finn who was sitting in the back row of the orchestra as I was leaving. I've followed this show from the original conception Off-Broadway.

The surprise to me was Brandon Uranowitz. I thought he was wonderful and channeled Chip Zien.

I'm going back next month and looking forward to it.

[TerrenceIsTheMann]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 8:12am

I thought it was really good. It captures the heart of the show, which I think is the main goal that they had going in. Lapine does an okay job, but I agree that it's not necessarily anything special. The performers and the score are drawn to the forefront of it all so any little mistakes were evident. However, I think the performances were very honest and real. Every little inflection being perfect is just not what this show is. Stephanie J. Block and Brandon Uranowitz are amazing, and Andrew Rannells works really well as Whizzer. Overall, it was an enjoyable night of theater. I just think it will be a hard sell to a general audience.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 8:38am

rosscoe(au) said: "Has any one checked on Whizzer...!"

Yeah I'm worried.

[Jimbo2]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 8:47am

theatregoer3, just curious to know if you saw the original Broadway or Off-Broadway production.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 8:49am

chill out peoples!!...i saw EVITA in it's very first preview in San Francisco, at the Orpheum Theatre in 1979 and it was TERRIBLE!!...went back the 9th week before it took off to LA and then NYC and it became my favorite Broadway show...i have faith that this will happen here with FALSETTOS as well...i see it the 3rd week of November so i know (hoping) this show will find it's footing...

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 9:33am

AC126748 said: "I'm always surprised by how willing some people on this board are to take the first negative thing written about a show on absolute faith. Seeing it tomorrow, and I plan to keep a completely open mind."

 

I TOTALLY agree with this. You should go in with an open mind. You don't know me so maybe we like completely different things. My opinion is obviously the minority at this point. ??

 

Have fun!

 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 9:55am

The response on my social media was overwhelmingly positive.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 9:59am

It's taken me a minute to get in front of a computer, but here are some scattered thoughts I have. Look, I love Falsettos with all my heart. There was one summer that I played In Trousers, March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland on such an incessant loop that I could sing every word on each album in under a month. I even went to the library to make photocopies of the sheet music of Four Jews in a Room Bitching so I would be able to sing along to any voice part I desired- true story! So would my fondness for the material make me be hyper-critical or just embrace the gooey lovefest I have for this show? The answer is definitely the latter, although there were some issues that need addressing.

Personally I loved the set. As has been described, it is a giant cube that breaks into maybe 40 or 50 pieces that the cast move around to create dozens of scenic designs. My friend turned to me at intermission and said, that set is a like a puzzle on Survivor. You know someone is going to have to put that cube back together at the end of the night. Even though I changed lyric alerts so the fact that the play begins in 1979 and the costumes are period appropriate throughout, the building blocks of the set give it both a timeless quality and a sense that we're in a dreamlike state. It wouldn't have shocked me if the whole thing had been turned into a memory play of Jason's; Falsettos doesn't need a framing device, but it's a nice thought to have.

The first ten minutes or so were a little shaky. All that four and five part singing is very tricky and the vocal lines are intricately layered, one upon the other. It will take a few more rehearsals with the orchestra before they get there, but they will get there. The solos and duets were much more self-assured in general.

As for the cast:

I love Mendel. He's like my dream boyfriend. Up until last night Chip Zien was Mendel, period, end of discussion. Isn't it funny how when we declare the discussion is over it's a sure sign that it's about to continue? Well, I simply adored Brandon Uranowitz' take on Mendel. He was warming, caring, funny, awkward and just the right amount of neurotic. He built a wonderful relationship with Jason and delivered one of my favorite lines, "Everyone hates his parents- that's in the Torah!" with perfect timing. So now Chip and Brandon are both Mendel, period, end of story.

I thought Stephanie J Block started off a little unsure of herself, but when she got to "I'm Breaking Down" she actually did bring the house down and all of a sudden it seemed like she took a deep breath, relaxed and became Trina. It was like she just had to get her first big number behind her then things could click into place. "Holding to the Ground" was another highlight of the night for me.

I think Christian Borle is stilling working out what to do with Marvin. He's obviously a very talented actor, and he's very tapped in to Marvin's anger and frustrations, but not the neurotic humor. It's easy to see Marvin as the "straight man" of the group; the glue that is holding this teeny tiny band of people together. After all, it's Marvin who keeps singing about how much he wants a tight-knit family. But the thing about Marvin is he's also full of sh!t. Marvin does more to rip these people apart than to bring them together. It is actually Jason for is the emotional lynchpin of Falsettos. He is the one who brings the family together and worries about his parents' happiness.

• Jason has to ask what Mendel's intentions are
• Jason has to spur on the marriage proposal (and introduces the song)
• Jason will only take advice from Whizzer about seeing a psychiatrist
• Jason makes sure Whizzer is included at the baseball game
• Jason doesn't want to have his bar mitzvah without Whizzer

I think Borle will loosen up and realize he doesn't have to be the sane one. He can be just as zany and crazy as Trina, Mendel and Whizzer. Borle did do well with the emotional moments. I had tears pin-pricking my eyes during "What More Can I Say," and "What Would I Do?" is now and forever a weeper.

It's quite a burden that Jason has to carry in this show, but I was very won over by Anthony Rosenthal's performance. He was very funny and his second act work in particular was stellar. "Another Miracle of Judaism" is a killer. He never came off as annoyingly precocious- he was just a smart kid left to parent two new sets of parents.

Andrew Rannells is working hard as Whizzer. It's not the easiest role to pull off because you have to be shallow and superficial and snidely funny, but we still have to be rooting for Whizzer and Marvin and to make it as a couple. We get to see them fight a lot, but as they sing to us, the fighting and arguing are really their favorite form of foreplay, so that needs to shine through. Of course, the fighting needs to slowly evolve from some sexual to something actually hurtful. I think they'll get here.

Betsy Wolfe and Tracie Thoms nailed the lesbians from next door. "Something Bad is Happening" was great and all the stuff about the bar mitzvah cuisine was funny. Wolfe just lights up a stage. She has some serious star power.

The biggest gripe I have is the changes and cuts they made to some of the lyrics. My paraphrase earlier of Whizzer hanging from a chandelier doesn't even work anymore because they cut that portion of Trina's phone call! Ugh. There were lots of little random changes, none of them really for the better. For example, I love(d) when Whizzer remarked, "Isn't that a French lapel?" and Marvin sang, "Whizzer has unlimited knowledge of dreck." Now Whizzer sings, "Isn't that wash and wear?" isn't of "French lapel." The meaning is altered and the original version is funnier. You see, Whizzer remarking that Marvin's clothes are "wash and wear" doesn't give him "unlimited knowledge of dreck." There's no expertise in seeing that clothes aren't dry clean only- especially as he's inspecting Marvin's shirt's label. It just makes him sound like a bitch and a snob. Knowing that it's a French lapel doesn't sound bitchy or snobbish- he's just filled his head with idiotic nonsense that Marvin considers dreck, but even that seems to turn his lover on.  I hope Lapine and Finn revisit each of their changes and reassess, even if they ultimately let them all stand.

 Ok, this is already far too long, but I was still ultimately moved; I laughed and cried and can't wait to see it again later in previews.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 9:59am

theatregoer3 is well within their rights to express their opinion after leaving at intermission of a public, ticketed performance. They didn't frame their opinion as a formal review- not that a review on this board will ever be any level of formal anyway- or even suggest it was representative of the full evening. They left and gave the reasons why they did. It's just as valid as someone coming here after the show and saying they loved it- and certainly as valid as the common intermission reports.

 

Updated On: 9/30/16 at 09:59 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 10:08am

In re: the lyric changes. I'm not surprised that Finn has changed lyrics- he seems to be a major tinkerer with his work and I can't say that it's usually for the better. He changed a lot of lyrics from the off-Broadway incarnations to Falsettos the first go around, too- and I don't think many were improvements and most were, at best, sideways moves.

[shanphelia]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 10:13am

So I was very happy to have won the lottery to see the first preview last night! Our $40 lottery tickets were Orchestra N 14-16.

I went in to this show knowing very little about it, to be honest, and really looking forward to the performers. I think they have strong performances on their hands but I feel it needs tightening up. The first act felt very long and the audience all around me was seeming listless and anxious for intermission. Not sure what can be done to speed that up? As someone new to the show, I was confused by the staging/costuming for "Four Jews in a Room Bitching" and "March of the Falsettos", but willing to go along for the ride.

The highlights for me were Stephanie Block (she really did bring down the house for her Breaking Down song) and Brandon Uranowitz as the sweetly neurotic Mendel.  Andrew Rannells had me crying by the end as Whizzer!  I was honestly conflicted by Christian Borle's Marvin -- always love hearing CB sing, but I disliked his character so much in act 1 that I found it difficult to have sympathy for him in act 2.

I'd like to see them streamline the set and cut down some on the rearranging and reassembly of the various blocks and shapes.  I also was having the same problem as I did when I saw Crucible here at the Kerr -- sitting in the side orchestra, sometimes I couldn't see characters who were performing on the side of the stage. 

The songs are very much stuck in my head! This was a gap in my theatre knowledge and glad to have filled it.  I enjoyed the evening and I think they can tighten up timing/choreography of staging and build on these amazing perfomers.  Looking forward to seeing it again after it opens.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 10:15am

I completely agree, Kad.

Some other examples:

Instead of Marvin singing "joys of chastity" he sings "joys of monogamy," which is worse.

When Marvin is listing all the things Whizzer "should" be doing as a kept man instead of "check for acne" it's "check the hairline."

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 10:20am

I was there last night, and thought it was beautiful. 

I've always thought that act one is hard to get right, and I think they're doing a great job. I love the building blocks set concept. This material really lends itself to a concept like this. Once they have more time to really nail down the movement (and it is CONSTANT), it'll be even more thrilling than it was last night. They nailed act two. I was a crying mess from Holding to the Ground all the way to the end.

I didn't think there was a single weak link in the cast. They all have room to grow, as any actor does, but they're all bringing some fresh ideas to their characters. Brandon Uranowitz is the most polished at this stage, I think, and I was the most surprised by Andrew Rannells, I was really moved by him, particularly by The Games I Play.

Christian Borle has a hard job here, and I think he is going to be really, really great, especially knowing what he is capable of. He already has brilliant moments, and knocks "What Would I Do" out of the park. Again, once he gets a hold of act one, I think it will be a must see performance.

Ultimately I was incredibly moved and just overjoyed and grateful to see this on Broadway. I can't wait to go back.

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 10:27am

Whether or not I always agree with Whizzer on his opinions, I totally respect them, and have been waiting impatiently for his take on the new FALSETTOS. I too adore this show, and saw it many times (and had the privilege of appearing with the four principals, as a charter member of the NYC Gay Men's Chorus, when they performed "Unlikely Lovers," not a dry eye in the house). So yes, my hopes remain high that the current production can achieve the same level of emotional involvement, and I know Whizzer feels the same. I may start crying at any moment...

[Kad]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 10:32am

WhizzerMarvin said: "I completely agree, Kad.

Some other examples:

Instead of Marvin singing "joys of chastity" he sings "joys of monogamy," which is worse.

When Marvin is listing all the things Whizzer "should" be doing as a kept man instead of "check for acne" it's "check the hairline.""

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, since I am far, far, far more familiar with the off-Broadway cast recordings than the "Broadway" version of the score (which I know only from the licensed libretto and radio broadcast of the LA production), but didn't Finn change the opening to "Please Come to My House," cutting Trina's lyrics about hanging herself from the chandelier?